Charlottesville, VA — The Festy Experience is excited to announce the first half of its music lineup for the 8th annual festival, happening October 5-8, 2017 in the Blue Ridge Bowl at Infinity Downs Farm in Arrington, Virginia. The lineup comprises a carefully curated blend of national and local roots music acts, featuring The Infamous Stringdusters, Drive-By Truckers, Sam Bush Band, The Travelin’ McCourys, The Jerry Douglas Band, Cabinet, Billy Strings, Love Canon, Carl Anderson, and The 8th Annual Garrettgrass Gospel Hour. And this is just half of the artist lineup. The next installment of artists will be announced on Wednesday, June 14th. Tickets are on-sale now.

The Festy Experience came about as an idea between Virginia-native Michael Allenby and The Infamous Stringdusters in 2009. Allenby’s Charlottesville-based company, The Artist Farm, was working with the band at the time in management. They got to talking and wanted to organize an event that grew out of the band’s shared experiences with fans over the years on the road. Music was a focus, but it was always more than music to them. Some had started raising families and community has always been at the heart of their involvement in the festival scene.

Throughout the event’s seven-year history, The Festy Experience team has worked hard to produce a festival experience that illustrates its core values: a love of craft food & beer (they will be offering a variety of Virginia’s award winning craft beer), appreciation for the outdoors, and stellar music. A family-friendly atmosphere is key; along with a family camping area, there will be a large kids area, a teen zone, special programming, a kids instrument making workshop, as well as other family activities.

With acres of meadows and miles of trails, The Festy Experience is crafting a full weekend of outdoor activities that will include Disc Golf and many other outdoor activities… plus Guided Nature Tours, Trail Runs, and Hosted Bike Rides. Of course they’ll still have an amazing YOGA program, plus the 22nd Annual Blue Ridge Burn (5k/10k)! Stay tuned for more information on activities, workshops, and special accommodations.

This will be The Festy Experience’s second year at Infinity Downs Farm, a 387-acre property in Arrington, VA, located in the Nelson County Preserve at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Central Virginia adjacent to the site of LOCKN’ Festival. The property features outdoor amphitheaters, open fields, campgrounds, hiking, and over 7 miles of biking trails. The Festy is fortunate that Infinity Downs Farm has been investing in extremely rare infrastructure (fencing, power, roads, water, internet) that will provide a sturdy foundation for The Festy Experience to continue its mission of long-term sustainability. It is conveniently located just 35 miles south of Charlottesville and 30 miles north of Lynchburg.

Tickets are on sale now and there are plenty of options including Weekend Camping, Car Camping, Family Camping, RV (powered or non-powered options), Individual Day, and Weekend-Day Passes with addition parking fees added on depending on your needs. Kids under 12 are free and there are special rates for teens (13-17). If you have any questions please contact us at info@theartistfarm.com or 434-220-4000.

The Festy Experience is excited to announce that All Weekend Access Tickets now include FREE Thursday Arrival (making it 4 days total over Columbus Day weekend). This is made possible because of a grant from the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) who recently awarded sponsorships to 32 Virginia music festivals, including The Festy Experience.

Anyone that purchases an All Weekend ticket will also receive a FREE commemorative steel pint cup from The Festy’s Partner Klean Kanteen. This is part of the festival’s commitment to environmental sustainability and used for beer purchases and water from free filling stations throughout the event.

Watch out for a series of events throughout the year in central Virginia to keep The Festy Experience around all year such as Bluegrass Brunch, listening room shows, and other special family friendly events.

The most vital acoustic music being made today acknowledges its predecessors and lives in the here and now. The Duhks, a band of five skilled, high-energy, tattooed musicians from Winnipeg, Manitoba, has been riveting audiences and winning staunch fans around the world with just that kind of music. The Boston Globe says about them, “Canada’s premier neo-tradsters romp from world-beat to blues, urban-pop to old-timey, with wild-eyed invention, haunting traditionalism, and spine-rattling groove. Who says the Frozen North can’t sizzle, eh?”

Since the release of their self-titled album in 2005, the consequent re-release of its Canadian debut (Your Daughters and Your Sons) to their most recent release (Fast Paced World), the band has won admirers as diverse as David Crosby, Dolly Parton and Doc Watson. This isn’t surprising, given the band’s blend of soul, gospel, North American folk, Brazilian samba, old-time country string-band music, zydeco and Irish dance music, folk rock and the attraction to these interwoven acoustic styles. The Duhks’ unique sound has also earned the band a Grammy nomination, one Juno Award, two additional Juno nominations, two Folk Alliance awards and an Americana Music Association nomination for Best Emerging Artists.

NPR says, “The inventive Canadians in The Duhks are widely beloved for their smooth blend of traditional roots music and soul, which they inject with well-placed Afro-Cuban and Celtic influences.” Ultimately though, according to band founder and claw-hammer banjoist Leonard Podolak, the Duhks “just want to play music that speaks to everybody.” Mission accomplished.

2008’s Fast-Paced World was the first Duhks record to feature prodigies Sarah and Christian Dugas. The siblings have been immersed in music their whole lives, thanks in part to their musician parents. “We had a family band that toured across Canada when I was 7 and Christian was 9,” remembers Sarah. “My father had a recording studio in the house, so I grew up hearing a variety of musicians playing everything from rap to rock to world beat. I grew up in a fun and creative environment.”

Joining the band in 2011, violinist Duncan Wickel‘s (formerly of Asheville, NC and now in Boston, MA) studies also began early with classical violin training at age 4. He was soon after introduced to Irish fiddling and has evolved into a wildly diverse and highly accomplished improviser, composer and technician on the violin; which fits amazingly with the Duhks diverse sound.

Guitarist Jordan McConnell also started digging into music at an early age and he started making guitars right out of highschool. He built both the guitar he plays on stage and one of Leonard’s favorite banjos as well. Currently, Jordan’s luthier business is taking off through the roof- a guitar he built was recently played by Seth Avett of The Avett Brothers alongside Bob Dylan on the Grammys!

Sarah and Christian have started playing as a duo and signed with Southern Ground Records (Zac Brown, Wood Brothers, Sonia Leigh). Since then they have played on Zac Brown’s Cruise “Sailing the Southern Seas” as well as the renowned folk and roots cruise “Cayamo”. They released an EP titled “Another Day” in February of 2011.

When not performing with the Duhks, Leonard has been invited into the Cecil Sharp Project based in the UK, as well as a new project, he’s started with some great Canadian songwriters called Dry Bones who performed earlier this year at the Vancouver Folk Fest.

With all of the side projects taking off, this tour is a special and rare opportunity to see the band. According to one blogger‘s live review, “The Duhks have soul in spades and a heart beat that pulses more true than an Ibiza night club. A night spent with The Duhks is summed up best by their own encore, ‘HALLELUJAH!’ Hallelujah indeed.”

After a firestorm of energy and killer shows out west with Natural Bridge and Keller Williams we get right back in the saddle this week with some great shows back on the East Coast.

Keller and the Keels. Photo by J. R. Martin

Check out this live review in Reverb from the Mishawaka Amphitheatre in Colorado from last week’s show with Keller. In it Brendan Magee states, “Williams opened with a quiet version of Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab” before covering Van Morrison, Ryan Adams and Tom Petty along the way. But first and second set turns with the Keels colored the night bluegrass. Fast-fingered Larry Keel hammered his way into songs with drastic precision and neck-bending techniques. Jenny Keel on vocals and upright bass anchored songs like “Get It While You Can” amidst a picking frenzy.” Also, here are some great pics from the show: http://phatphlogblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/phlog-post-keller-and-keels-at.html

Larry Keel and Natural Bridge. Photo by Vikas Nambiar

This Friday we head out for another Keller and the Keels set at the Head Jamz Festival on Friday in Adams, TN. On Saturday we head back to the great state of North Carolina and play the GETDOWN Music Festival with Natural Bridge. This Sunday, Sept 4th we trek back to our home town of Lexington, VA to play an evening with Larry Keel and Natural Bridge at The Theater At Lime Kiln (show starts at 7:30pm). We finish the Labor Day Weekend festivities on Monday, Sept 5th in Bridgewater, VA at the Oakdale Community Park Summer Concerts (show time is 7pm).

Have a beautiful weekend and remember to think of your fellow friends and family, go out and lend a hand this week, a lot of folks could use it after this week.

After a restful few days at the beach, Mags and I decided to extend our vacation by a day and make the trek to Norfolk to catch the house concert with Tara Nevins. Mapquest fixed the driving distance from Holden Beach, NC (south of Wilmington) to Norfolk at 318 miles, but the actual distance turned out to be more like 352 miles, and we got caught in a long stretch of stop-and-roll traffic, thanks to construction. Happily, the drive time from Norfolk to Durham is under four hours, and so the trip home tomorrow shouldn’t be so bad.

The concert was held in the back yard of a private home in a very cool, older neighborhood in the northern part of the city, in the general vicinity of the navy base. There was a small stage — a riser, actually — with a tent, off to the side that could be placed over it in case of rain. Folding chairs were set up for about 120 people, and it looked like all but a few were taken. Some people spread blankets to the sides of the seated area and had picnics. The host, Jim Morrison, also provided beer and water for his guests, though many people brought their own. There were a number of Donna the Buffalo fans in attendance, though the overwhelming majority seemed to be local music aficionados who enjoy the house concert scene and who are interested in hearing new sounds. Unfortunately, a storm front rolled in just before the show got under way. The cool breeze was a relief, but menacing skies provided a backdrop against which the the first half of the show was performed. Finally, some sprinkles, placement of the tent over the performers, then more serious raindrops, then the downpour. Some people sought shelter in the garage, others in the house; still others called it a night. Jim brought out plastic bags for the instruments and moved the show into his home. Tara and Carol Elizabeth set up in his spacious living room and performed without amplification. People sat on the floor and stood, spilling out into the dining room. Somehow, this worked just fine.

This turned out to be a very special evening indeed, both for the intimacy of a house concert and for the opportunity to see Tara perform in her own right. Musically, the concert was a melange of old time, material from Tara’s recent release, Wood and Stone, and some Donna the Buffalo favorites. Tara’s musicianship is peerless, and she is also a most engaging raconteuse. I came away with a new appreciation for and admiration of this remarkable talent and very special person. A heartfelt thanks to our host, Jim Morrison, for sponsoring this event and for inviting us into his home. My daughter had it right when she said that this is an evening that we shall always remember fondly. No question about it. This was a beautiful experience.

“If the Pied Piper-like migration of people to the stage during their FloydFest performance this past summer [2010] is any kind of barometer, the band is on an immutable trajectory of permeating Southwest Virginia with their versatile, yet immediately attainable sonority.” ~ Todd Guill, New River Voice

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“Their style can be described as broad, showing influences from blues, jazz, and folk. It’s a fusion of these elements that give GKP its full and rich sound, described by Galen as “a stew” and by Benjamin [Bass player] as “familiar yet original.” I could easily picture myself finding a secluded stream high on the mountain and lying in the warm sun as the Galen Kipar Project played softly in the background. Maybe I can talk them into hiking with me one day, with instruments in hand, of course. I would even offer to carry a few things.” ~Jeremiah Greer, Magazine 33

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“It’s like a collection of short stories, brilliantly constructed and with a unique and compelling literary voice. I keep coming back to each song, listening more deeply and being drawn more deeply in. I was knocked out by their last CD, and was hoping I’d like the next one even half as much; if anything, I like this one twice as much.” ~ David Gans, KPFA’s Dead to the World, Host of Grateful Dead Hour

American roots traditionalist Tara Nevins recently released Wood and Stone, her first solo album since Mule to Ride in 1999. Wood and Stone showcases her ever-evolving repertoire as she journeys both back to her own “roots” and head-long into new territory. In support of the new album, Nevins will be performing at the ten year anniversary show for North Shore Point House Concerts on Saturday, June 11th at 8pm in Norfolk, VA. Anyone interested in attending should email jim@northshorepoint.com or visit www.northshorepoint.com

North Shore Point’s first show in 2001 was with Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer (the second was with Steve Forbert). They’ve hosted well more than 60 shows over the years with folks like Jim Lauderdale, Eliza Gilkyson, Marshall Crenshaw, Jimmy LaFave, Kim Richey, Steve Forbert, Tom Russell, Dave Alvin, Chris Smither, Peter Case, Mary Gauthier, and dozens of others. It’s generally considered one of the more successful series in the country so come out and celebrate!

Fans of Nevins from her 21-year tenure with Donna the Buffalo are familiar with her versatile talents; she shares the vocal and songwriting responsibilities for the band and is a stellar musician on fiddle, guitar, and accordion. (She plays a mean scrubboard too.) Prior to DTB, Nevins was a founding member of the all-female, old time/Cajun band The Heartbeats. (They join her on two tracks here as well.) Wood and Stone delivers the musical expertise fans have come to expect and surprises with new perspectives.

“This album is personal and sort of revelatory,” Nevins says. “It’s an expression of recent emotional discovery within relationships lost and found, and how knowing the core of who we are is the real deal. There were so many elements I wanted to explore—to combine all the pieces of my personal musical puzzle–and then have it come together in a cohesive whole. I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Larry Campbell. I am honored to have had him both produce and play on my record. He’s an amazingly talented and soulful musician. He has a very natural, down-to-earth approach and an instinctual insightfulness that I really appreciate; he really got what I was after. The whole experience was inspiring and challenging in a very positive way.”

Campbell is a much-sought-after musician/producer renowned for his work with Bob Dylan and still rolling from the success of Levon Helm’s two Grammy- winners, Dirt Farmer and Electric Dirt, which he produced. He found Nevins’s project immediately compelling. “I liked the feel of the project– her combination of old-time mountain music and original songwriting—and I was taken with Tara’s unique talent; she’s got a distinctive voice—there’s a kind of honesty that shines through.”

The record kicks off with the title cut “Wood and Stone,” and that “honest” element is readily apparent in this touching tribute to home and family. Old-timey acoustics are quickly joined by drums and steel guitars as Nevins sings about “the better part of me” regarding her upbringing and early influences. “It’s got that magical blend of music and lyrics,” Campbell says of it, “and it really paints a picture of where she comes from.”

Ten of the thirteen tracks are originals, and Nevins’ complexity gets a broad stage. She dispenses wit and wisdom with an atypical take on love and relationships through gritty songs such as “You’ve Got It All” and “You’re Still Driving That Truck,” then turns to wrenching hearts with songs like “Snowbird” (accompanied by Jim Lauderdale), a beautiful metaphorical ballad about the pain of loving someone unable to truly give back, and “Tennessee River,” a haunting, gripping song about the stranglehold love can have over a person’s whole existence. “Stars Fell on Alabama” sounds like it fell from her heart and pen too, but Nevins has the capacity to take a well-known standard like this, change the melody, and perform it so ingenuously that it fits in seamlessly to the whole groove of the record.

The record is “framed” by another nostalgic piece, “The Beauty of the Days Gone By” (by Van Morrison), bringing the record full-circle and serving as a sort of catharsis for the dark tone of “Tennessee River”. “I wanted to end the record with it,” Nevins explains, “because I love the sentiment of the song and it’s kind of like ‘the sun always comes back out’ kind of thing. We grow and learn and take our relationships with us for better and for worse and that’s life in all its beauty and glory.”

Nevins’ rare blend of enormous talent coupled with genuine down-home humbleness has won the hearts of fans and colleagues alike. “Tara has this worldly awareness combined with a fragile innocence,” Larry Campbell notes, “which makes her songwriting and music very accessible…very appealing.” Wood and Stone is sure to add to that appeal. Visit Nevins’ website at http://taranevins.com to read the song lyrics, see a photo gallery, listen to the songs and more.

MARTINSVILLE, VA. – A lights-laden performance from Grammy-nominated headliners the Infamous Stringdusters, two long sets from festival hosts Folk Soul Revival and a packed list of events at the workshop stage: These are just some highlights from the Rooster Walk 3 schedule recently released by event organizers.

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The Infamous Stringdusters, a progressive bluegrass band from Nashville, Tenn., will perform from 8:40-10:10 p.m. on the Creekside Stage at Blue Mountain Festival Grounds on Saturday, May 28. The band, which tours throughout the country and abroad, will be making its first trip to Rooster Walk.

“It sounds like a good time, and that’s largely one of the guiding principles of what we do these days: What sounds like the most fun, for us and for people who want to come be a part of it?” said Travis Book, a vocalist and upright bass player for the Stringdusters. “And Rooster Walk fits the bill. It’s gonna be a really great time, and that’s one of the most important things to us. Since we’re all just spinning around on this planet, why not try to enjoy it as much as possible?”

Roots-rockers Folk Soul Revival are the only band scheduled to perform during both nights of the festival. The group, which formed in Wise just three years ago, will play on the Blue Mountain/Bassett Furniture Stage from 10:25 p.m.-midnight on Friday, May 27. FSR will play one night later on the Creekside Stage from 5:30-6:50 p.m.

“We’re very excited to be a part of this and be the festival hosts,” said Folk Soul Revival guitjo player Justin Venable. “We’re pumped to play, and also we’re excited to be there as fans of the other bands. It’s gonna be a great time.”

Joanne Lane (left) and daughter Hunter Lane pause for a picture during Rooster Walk 2 on Memorial Day weekend, 2009.

Another new addition to the festival is the Arts at the Rives Theatre (ART) Workshop Stage, a smaller, temporary structure that will play host to nine activities on Saturday, May 28, ranging from children’s programs (painting, guided creek walk, drum circle) to yoga, songwriting and guitar workshops.

“We’re very excited about this year’s offerings at the ART Workshop Stage,” said Johnny Buck, a co-founder of Rooster Walk and an ART board member. “Being able to add programs like an educational children’s nature walk along Snow Creek, a Saturday-morning yoga class and a songwriter’s workshop will really compliment the atmosphere we’re trying to cultivate and promote. Music, the environment, education: Each one is a critical part of the Rooster Walk experience.”

Festival gates will officially open at noon May 27, with the Blacksburg-based kids rock band Levi’s Gene Pool getting things started at 4 p.m.

Mainstreet Moonshine, a band of Hampden Sydney College students that features Martinsville native Riggs Roberson on guitar, will play at 4:50, followed by the Stuart-based band Poverty Level at 5:50 and Relacksachian, of Roanoke, at 6:55.
Festival favorites Sanctum Sully will hit the Blue Mountain/Bassett stage at 8 p.m., followed by Charlottesville pop-troubadour Travis Elliott, Folk Soul Revival and jamband stalwarts the Kings of Belmont.

Gates will open at 8 a.m., on May 28, and the Pan United Youth Movement Steel Drum Orchestra will start the day’s music. The Martinsville Community Jazz Ensemble will perform at 11:35 a.m., followed by the Australian-born singer/songwriter Mariana Bell. Bluegrass behemoths Big Fat Gap will fire up at 1:45, and the soulful vocals of the Lizzy Ross Band will start soaring at 2:55.

Charlottesville rockers Rob Cheatham & GUNCHUX! Will play at 4:05. Folk Soul Revival will then perform on the Creekside Stage, followed by reggae-rocker Jesse Chong on the Blue Mountain/Bassett stage.

The Infamous Stringdusters will get going at 8:40, as Berkeley Dent of 81 Productions cranks up a full-fledged lights show. Guitar wizard Jamal Millner, of Jamal Millner and Comrades, will begin at 10:20 before giving way to The Mantras, a popular jamband from Greensboro, N.C., who will close out the festival.

A mother and daughter dance at Rooster Walk 2 on Memorial Day weekend, 2009.

Proceeds from Rooster Walk go to the Penn-Shank Memorial Scholarship Fund at Martinsville High School. The fund, like the festival itself, is named in memory of late Martinsville natives Edwin “the Rooster” Penn and Walker Shank. In just two years, festival organizers have donated $10,000 to the merit-based scholarship fund.

This year’s scholarship winner will be chosen from the current senior class at Martinsville High School. He or she will then be honored during the festival on May 28.

Tickets are currently $40 for a general admission weekend pass ($105 for VIP), and camping is $20 per vehicle with no limit to the number of occupants per vehicle. Tickets are available in the Martinsville area at the Southern Virginia Artisan Center uptown, Woodall’s Music in Collinsville and Binding Time Cafe in the Druid Hills shopping plaza.

ART WORKSHOP STAGE SCHEDULE:
Saturday, May 28
10-10:30 a.m. – Yoga
Join Allison Wilkie, the yoga instructor and fitness director of Chatmoss Country Club, as she leads you through a stretch of exercises that will get you ready for another awesome day of festival goodness.

11:05-11:35 a.m. – “Honey Bee Where Are You?”
“Honey bee, where are you?” is a serious question being asked around the world today. Honey bees are extremely important, but they are becoming extinct! Join Patrick County author Martha Scott as she reads her rhyming children’s book that explores life inside a honey bee colony. The book also gives ideas about how people of all ages can help these tiny, fuzzy insects continue their fight for survival.

Noon – 12:30 – Kids Painting with Redbeard
Jonathon Blake has been a fixture at Rooster Walk since Day 1, painting live performance art as the bands perform. Blake’s reputation as a performance painter is well established along the East Coast, and now he’s going to share some of his tips with kids at the festival. The result of the workshop will be a group-made painting.

1:05-1:45 – Songwriters workshop
We’ve brought together two accomplished young songwriters to discuss their craft. Travis Elliott (Charlottesville, Va.) has written about subjects ranging from love to spaceships on the way to a song catalog of more than 500. Lizzy Ross’ work has been drawing critical acclaim since she hit the scene in Chapel Hill, N.C. roughly three years ago.

1:50-2:30- Kids’ Creek Walk
Put on your water shoes and join Robin Jensen of the Virginia Museum of Natural History as leads a guided walk along – and into – beautiful Snow Creek. Children will learn about macroinvertebrates and aquatic ecosystems as well as the importance of protecting their environment.

3:35-4:05 p.m. – Guitar workshop
Two guitar masters from different disciplines will combine forces for a very special guitar workshop. Jamal Millner brings a jazz background and classical training, while John Garris has been playing bluegrass since he was old enough to hold the guitar. Both are incredible musicians.

4:15-5 p.m. – Tie Dye
Follow our group leader step-by-step as you tie dye your own Tshirt! Buy a Rooster Walk shirt from the Merchandise Tent or bring your own. Fun for the whole family.
5-5:30 p.m. – Kids Drum Circle
Bring your budding musician for the chance to play on bongo drums of various shapes and sizes. Led by Martinsville native Jeff Sharp, kids will try their hand at keeping a beat and making some music for all to enjoy.

6 p.m. – Joe Washrag Memorial Duck Race
Once, there was a band. A band so skilled that their every song was a perfect soundtrack to the incredibly popular duck race at Rooster Walk. … Though Joe Washrag has disbanded, their spirit lives on in the form of tiny plastic birds floating down Snow Creek, with great prizes awaiting the quickest finishers.